Sad to miss the races

As I feared, PISS'D OFF PETE will not be able to make next weekend's National Flag day races. Our Lenco transmission has been repaired by Jeff Dobbins but he is in Michigan racing and will only be able to ship it out to us next week. It took a while to get it fixed since parts had to be ordered from RAM and Lenco. Also, getting the Lenco out of customs in Miami took much longer than usual.

But hey, we will be there in the bleachers at the CIR, and so should you, for I believe the races will be great once more. Below you will find the promotional poster of the event.

Thanks for reading and see you at the races!

Drag Fest 2014

Willemstad, Curacao

Happy New Year to all of our race fans out there!

After having endured a year without any racing events I am excited to inform that the F.A.C. will once again organize the traditional "Dia di La Reina" drag races this year. Though it will be called by another name it looks as if this Drag Fest will be the largest drag racing event in the Caribbean for 2014.

Kick off:
At the end of March, 2014, the organizers will hold a series of mini auto shows around the island. One will be held each week for a total of four. A variety of local drag race cars will be on display.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014:

A large auto show will be held on the Brion Plein, which is considered the center of Willemstad and the St. Anna Bay and sits at the cross road of the island (see photo on the right).

place where most of the official celebrations are held. Since the site allows for it, a great deal of the visiting drag race cars (foreign) as well as the local ones will be on display. The spectator turnout will be massive since the location is on the

Wednesday, April 30, 2014:
The official test day will take place at the Curaçao International Raceway at Ronde Klip. The session will run into the night where the elapsed times will drop considerably.

Thursday and Friday, May 1, 2, 2014:
First and second (final) day of races, all existing classes. The F.A.C. will also introduce the Top Sportsman class (NHRA - ADRL) running 6.00 - 8.50, this is essentially a fast bracket race.

Possibly attending from Holland

As a attraction, the organizers have invited several foreign cars to participate in the race. Some will be exhibitions whilst others will be racing in their respective classes.
- exhibition: from The Netherlands, two "MPM oil sponsored Nostalgia class Funny Cars" have been invited. I believe these compete in the Pro-Mod class back in Holland (see photo),
- Also from The Netherlands, four to six drag race cars have gotten invitations to attend, including Curaçao native Clemson Lourens,
- from Colombia, two cars have been invited from Bogota and two from Baranquilla,

Attending from Venezuela.

- from Grenada, four cars have been invited,
- from Trinidad, no less than 10-16 cars have been invited,
- from Venezuela, a couple have been invited. The "modified" Zapato Grande (green Ford Mustang) is already on the island as it arrived in early December 2013 (see photo),
- Santo Domingo, cars have been invited but don't have a number,
- St. Maarten, cars have been invited but don't have a number,

Cars and fans of neighboring islands of Aruba and Bonaire will certainly find their way to Curaçao where they will attempt to collect the majority of trophies.

The event organizer, the F.A.C., reiterated on various occasions that it would not outright cover all the expenses for the foreign cars to race during the event, though it would offer to the foreign invites a package deal (probably brokered through various event sponsors) so as to reduce the actual cost of getting the cars and crew to the venue. He wants to be clear on this to avoid any misrepresentations.

A big shout out goes out to the event sponsors!

So mark your calendars and start booking your airline tickets, because I personally guarantee that the racing is going to be "hard, fast, and full of action". Of course, I can only speak for myself, but as my father used to instruct:  "It doesn't matter how you cross the finish line, just that you cross it first". So King Kong IV, and the rest.... you've been warned. Best to bring your A-game to this party!

For more information about the 2014 Drag Fest, please click here.

Thanks for reading and check back for updates along with possible corrections.

Sources: Roc Korsou 88, "Den Staging Lanes", Mr. John Anthony, with Mr. Frank Brandao (FAC), Wikipedia,
Photo credit: USA Today, sports.mpmoil.nl, unknown.

Spun bearing sidelines Pete

It has been a couple of weeks since the last post, but we've been very busy on many fronts. So I'll jump right into it.

In a routine engine check whilst testing last month we discovered we hurt the engine. With no spare engine, this means that we will be enjoying the races from the bleachers for some time to come. The engine must be shipped back stateside for repairs.

All in all, it could have been much worse, if the problem hadn't been identified and we had gone out to the track for another pass. An attentive team mate heard a faint noise and threw the red flag. After a quick telephone consultation with Jeff Dobbins in which he suspected our engine had spun a bearing, all we could do is load up and head home.

Luckily, as Pat Musi was testing with King Kong IV as well, we asked him to give us a hand and confirm our suspicions. Below you can see some pictures taken when he was trouble shooting the Sonny Leonard 762 c.i. hemi engine.

For those who don't know what a spun bearing is or how it occurs, usually it is caused by lack of oil during high rpm's. Since I shift well above 7,000 rpm and the car is puling some strong g-forces, there might have been a problem with the oil pick up. And on second thoughts, the oil we were running might have been a tad too thin.

A shout out goes to Stephen Maduro and Eric Felix for doing a superb job of identifying the problem. Great job guys!

Thanks for reading.

Photo credit: own files.

When to start slowing down

The other day, while talking to some friends, we got to the subject of slowing 200+mph cars down.

Parachutes being deployed before the finish

I mentioned how it is that sometimes we barely slow down in time, even though we have a very long shut down area. A fellow racer said that I should practise pulling the shut just before we cross the finish line. As he elaborated, this entails that as we are crossing the finish line, not only was the parachute handle pushed, but also the parachutes were deployed and would be in the process of opening up, hereby cutting down on the track length needed to slow down. Essentially, like the pro's do it.

The picture above illustrates this concept of trowing the chutes before one crosses the finish line. Here you see Jason Line, in the far lane, deploying his chutes while crossing the finish. To watch a short super slow motion video of how the parachutes open, please click here.

I've often seen the NHRA and ADRL guys do this but somehow I never thought about this as an option until that day. It is indeed the best way to slow down, however, I just hope that the bump at the finish line combined with the parachutes being deployed doesn't upset the car too much!

Moral of the story, listen to others for they may know more than you do, or at least remind you of something important!

Thanks for reading and see you at the races!

Photo credit: Jaylyn photography

Night time action picts

As I've noted in earlier blogs, we have some pretty good photographers on the island who have mastered the art of taking sport action pictures.

However, local drag racing occurs only at night under artificial lighting and most of the pictures taken are from or around the starting line. It would be great if we could get some photographers interested in taking pictures further down the track as well, even though these pictures are more difficult to get.

Edmund Hall vs Michael Hill

The picture to the right is of Edmund Hall vs Michael Hill at the Montgomery Motorsports Park, and was taken by Drag Illustrated photographer John Fore III. Just a superb job of snapping this awesome side-by-side racing picture.

Thanks for reading and see you at the races!

Photo credit: John Fore III

Tramm Imaging

TRAMM Imaging is our sole supplier of racing decals and vinyl. Also, they were one of our first sponsors and supporters since we first started Danny de Kort Motorsports back in 2011.

If you think our reflective same-color flames of the hood scoop look super cool, or Pete's skull on the sides of the Cobalt jumps out at you when the light hits it just at the right angle, it's all thanks to the great people at Tramm!

Their knowledgeable staff used state-of-the-art equipment and will tend to all of your needs:

- High quality offset printing / Leaflets / Booklets / Magazines / Flyers / Business Cards

- ADVANTIX / APS One Hour Printing and Processing

- Hi Resolution Scanning / Photo CD

- Color Copies / Digital Printing on Photographic paper

- Posters / Signs / Banners / Trade-show Graphics

- Truck Wraps or Billboards or Fine Art

- Photo Mouse-pad / Photo Buttons and T-shirts

- Wide Format Scanning and Copying

- Plotting and Copying of Construction Plans (Blue Prints)

- Mounting on Foam Board / PVC Board

- Plastic Comb- Coli- and/or Calender Binding


Contact info:

Tramm Foto:
Dr. Hugenholtzsweg 36,
Phone: (599 9) 465-0095,
email: foto@tramm.com

Tramm Imaging:
Caracasbaaiweg 234,
Phones: (599 9) 465-9065 or 465-9062,
email: info@tramm.com

Business Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00
Sat 09:00 - 13:00

For more information, please click here.

New sponsors for 2013

It is the beginning of the season and we couldn't be more excited. We've got some great companies onboard for 2013 and we are going to built on last year's performance. 

The following companies form our group of sponsors. If you can, please support them as much as possible, for they support our racing!

The boys are leaving tomorrow for their yearly pilgrimage, the Gatornationals. As soon as they return we are gonna wake up Pete, put some new brake lines on him and take him to the track for some testing.

Check back for more details.

Thanks for reading.

Thanks to all who helped in 2012

Even though we are well into the new year, I'd like to express our gratitude to all those who sponsored, donated, lend a helping hand and came to support us in 2012. It was a good year in which we made a lot of progress and gained much experience. Definately, 2013 will bring even better racing.

Of course, I'd be nowhere if it were not for my crew. A shout out goes to Stephen Maduro, seen here sanding the floater for the next pass, to Eric Felix and Priscilla Lotman. Pris has shown a lot of determination in learning the ropes and is not shy of getting her hands dirty, eventhough she keeps a pack of hand wipes handy!

Thanks for reading and see you at the races.

2012 Year' end racing video

And here it is... mind you that the video is by my own hands and wits.

In testing for the first race of years' end, the Xtreme Christmas Shootout, as I was staging the car, the race director jumped in front of me and gave me the dreaded "kill the engine" sign. As I complied I saw him, in a Michael Jackson dance move, lower his sight to the ground and point his finger to the sky. It had began to rain... A big thanks to the folk at Bernina Modes who courageously adapted the car cover to provide for the huge hood scoop, for it poured for a long time.

In the first of three runs against Frank Brandao's King Kong IV, Pat Musi's lane choice had me driving in the left lane, a lane I had never driven Pete in. Damn! A too low a seating position meant I couldn't see the tree properly. Assisted by Stephen, I slowly crept into the beams. Both. And waited. As I heard him drop the hammer, so did I. Dead late.

Still, very proud of my first ever side-by-side run. As the races ran late into the night, Pat and I decided to leave it at that single race.

Just a short week later, with the correct seating height, I went up against Venezuela's Zapato Grande, who had come to the island determined to win "The Battle of the Best".

Pete was heavily underpowered as the Venezolean had brought 822 c.i. along with no less than three stages of NOS to settle matters once and for all with the American Musi. My game plan revolved on a hole shot and the chance that he might cook the tires trying to catch up. Unfortunately, as I crept forward in an attempt to stage, I saw the break pressure drop. Need I say anymore... In spite of this I left ahead of him, only to lose traction due to the oil I had just dropped at the starting line. Again, happy to race a mountain motor pro stocker, even if I ended up being on the losing side!

Thanks for reading and see you at the races!

Battle of the Best - Day 2

Yesterday was the second day of the so-called "Battle of the Best", our first night. I say so-called because I am no where near there....yet. On a night that we were to make two passes, oil downs and other delays kept the Top Gun field of three to only a single pass.

Unfortunately the track was no where as good as last weekends', so the big guns would have their hands full. Our little 762 ci Pro Stocker engine laid down a 6.81 et at 204 mph while the other two had to lift off early. Imagine that! We were the quickest of the bunch last night. This will certainly change tonight.

I want to commend our skeleton crew for this weekend. Since Priscilla is away for work, I've had to take her place alongside Stephen servicing the clutch. Still the work got done in a timely manner and we were ready when the call to lanes came.

See you at the races!

Extreme Shoot Out race

Right.... race day had arrived. A week ago that is, the 2002 Extreme Christmas Shoot Out. Great fun, great drivers, great extreme import cars and an even greater announcer. I hope that this event will return for 2003.

While servicing the clutch for our first side-by-side qualifying pass, we discovered a problem that would limit us to that one run only. One of the air fittings that activates shifting on the Lenco was leaking. Unfortunately, we did not have a replacement fitting to run the elimination round.

Pat Musi vs Danny de Kort

All in all, a good experience. At the line I had strapped myself in too tight, for me to move around in the seat to see the christmas tree. After a lot of coaxing I staged the car but still could not see the amber light....so, when he left, so did I. Of course, dead late, but it was a start.... and before the finish line I decided it was enough... I was quite close to the retaining wall. Ran a 6.88 et. Happy with my first ever side-by-side pass. Something to build on.

Thanks to Pat Musi for waiting for me at the line.

See you at the races.

Photo credit: Exotic Boost.

Race day

The day has come that Piss'd Off Pete will officially compete in a race, for the April event we didn't have any competition. Unfortunately, it poured last night and this morning. Hopefully, the rain Gods have had enough and will let us go out and light up the night will a lot of action.

Hope to see you at the races!

Upcoming race: Extreme Christmas Shoot Out

The new one on top of the old.

On Monday, our new wheelie bars have arrived from RJ. Just a few hours earlier we got back our old titanium wheelie bars from our guys at shipyard (DOK). They fit perfectly as well. So now we have these as backup.

Accordingly, PISS'D OFF PETE was entered in the Extreme Christmas Shoot Out Race of next week. Our competition will be Frank Brandao's King Kong IV, with the legendary Pat Musi behind the wheel.

There will be testing this Saturday at the Curacao International Raceway from 17:00 - 23:00 hrs.

See you at the track!

Extreme Christmas Shoot Out pre-sale today

Today PISS'D OFF PETE will be at the pre-sale for the Extreme Christmas Shoot Out, organized by Meyer Racing.

There will be special prices for the tickets to this event and also for the Don Omar concert. The concert tickets will go for just Fls. 50,= while the drag race package are just Fls 100,=.  And, in keeping with tradition, there will be a DJ who I am quite sure will only play Reggaeton.

So make good use of this opportunity and visit the parking lot of UTS Business Center at Zeelandia between five and seven o'clock today.

See you there!


Some promotion girls adorn Pete

By the way, now I know why Pete has a bad attitude! Just look at what they did to him that night. Urven, you still have to help me straighten out the front of the Cobalt! 

Thanks for reading.

Photo credit: Drag Action Curacao

2012 Drag Fest Photo Album

At the 2012 Drag Fest, Drag Action Curacao (DAC) snapped lots of pictures of PISS'D OFF PETE, Eric and Stephen. That's the entrepreneurial spirit we miss a great deal off in Curacao.

Below, I've selected 18 pictures for your viewing pleasure. Click on a photo to view a larger version.


Above, the usual pre-race engine warmup, double checking

everything (including engine for leaks) and going through all 

gears.



Above, Eric finishes checking the engine's valves and springs

Above, Stephen, keeping the Cobalt steady during the burn out.

Above, Stephen adjusting the wheelie bars at just the right height. 

These bars are extremely strong and can support the car's weight.

Above, Eric closing the window safety net.

Above, Stephen brings me to the pre-stage light.

Above, after the run Eric telling me to stop being a wimp 

and keep your foot in it, or he'll call JD.

Above, in the shut down area.

If you ever need quality motor sport photos, be sure to get DAC to help you out. They're a professional bunch at reasonable prices. To visit their website, please click here.

In the near future I will write a piece on the valuable work of photographers in motor sports.
Please, check back occasionally.

Thanks for reading.

Funny picture

The picture to the right was taken Urven Broos when I was getting ready to make our third pass at the Drag Fest earlier this year. In pro categories drag racing is clearly a team sport.

How would you caption this photo? Send us your thoughts and you may win a prize. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Where are gonna be testing soon. Please check back for your personal invite.

Thanks for visiting and see you at the races.

Blast from my past

The other day I stumbled upon some old pictures of when I was part of the Whathehell team and I thought it worthwhile to share them with you.

The pictures were of when we traveled to Mooresville, N.C., to take delivery of Jason Line's old GTO.  We had bought it from KB racing and crew chief Rob Downing lowered a Kaase 822 hemi in it for us. He also introduced us to Jeff Dobbins, who would become our "life line"... and still is.

The picture sequence from the left:

At this stage I was still unaware of the steep learning curve that awaited me, for I had never driven a drag race car before, let alone a Mountain Motor Pro Stock. In retrospect, this wasn't the best way to do it and I shouldn't have let them talk me into it.

Jon Kaase's 822 ci hemi engine, with intake and two set's of split dominators. I remember the heads as being huge, unlike anything I had seen before. The normally aspirated engine cranked some 1.800 plus hp, however, the exact number was never divulged to me.

Before taking delivery, Rob and Jason made sure that everything worked properly and started the engine to prove it was. Great group of guys!

KB Racing's operation in Mooresville comprises a seriously large hanger, big enough to hold a couple of large car and equipment trailers and every other equipment necessary to make them the team to beat on any given Sunday.

For those of you who are not die-hard race fans, Mooresville is also known as "Race City USA" because it has the biggest concentration of racing teams, engine builders and suppliers in the country, not only for drag racing but for Nascar and many other forms of racing as well.

Pictures: own library.

Role models

This blog post is not about for or against any particular group, rather giving credit where it is due.

From L: Johannus de Boer, Ingemar Meyer,
Edmond Henriquez, Otmar Baloche,
Shanigan Paula

The past races, called the Drag Fest 2012, and the Street Legal racing series that runs throughout the year, almost did not happen, weren't it for the guidance of a group of unselfish drag racers, who took it upon them to bring much needed clarity to the sport we all love.

Two thumbs up and keep up the good work!

Thanks for reading

Photo courtesy: Drag Action Curacao.

Curacao Drag Fest - Day 2

working on the clutch 

As the festivities around the celebration of the Queen's day (which is a national holiday) came to a close, some of these folk found their way to the drag strip, as this was the second day of racing. It's funny. The stands are full of fans in orange, some of whom spend the entire day in Punda or Otrobanda celebrating amongst friends and with beer in hand. Many came by our pits and hung out.

The second day of racing seemed to go bit slower than we're accustomed to. But the guys doing the drifting put on a hell of a show, while the track's crew tended to the many oil downs, including ours.

Our first and only pass of the night didn't turn out like we wanted. When I went on the throttle-stop the engine suffered a small oil leak, which in turn was blown all over the engine and eventually onto the track. The car didn't seem to want to make up its mind where it wanted to go (hey, I am just the passenger at this point) so after pushing Pete into third gear and still having excessive wheel spin, I clicked it early.

Below the video of our run on day 2, still had a decent 60ft of 1.02 seconds.



Personally I dislike very much oil downs, so I spent the rest of the night underneath the car wiping off any oil that remained. Unfortunately, some other cars ran into the same problem and there were some long delays. The track guys worked feverishly to clean these up, so they deserve two thumbs up!

For those of you who haven't been to the track lately, mostly, the races are held at night under the lights.